Orange Bowl Preview

Bearcats and Hokies to Battle in Lackluster BCS Match-Up

Dec 21, 2008 Kellen Murphy

Many detractors of the Bowl Championship Series have found their standard bearer.

On January 1st, Cincinnati will face Virginia Tech in a battle of two teams that both received automatic bids to the BCS. In the final BCS standings, the Bearcats were ranked 12th while the Hokies ranked 19th.

BCS Controversy

Nine teams ranked ahead of Virginia Tech in the final BCS standings that did not make it into a BCS bowl, including undefeated Boise State and once defeated Texas Tech. Many will say that neither of these teams deserves to be in this game but the fact remains that they both made it to a BCS bowl and both have a chance to justify this automatic bid for both their conferences.

Virginia Tech Will Win Because…

Defense wins championships. That line has been said over and over and over again and for the most part, it holds true. Virginia Tech ranked 7th in overall defense this year and 13th in scoring defense. The Hokies have a defense that can create havoc and cause turnovers, giving the ball back to their dismal offense. Just how bad were they? The Hokies ranked 107th in total offense, behind 7 of the 9 FBS teams that lost 10 or more games this year.

Their best hope of winning this game is to keep the score low and keep the ball on the ground, where their offense ranked 41st and their defense ranked 19th. If it becomes a shootout, don’t expect Tech to keep up.

Cincinnati Will Win Because…

The Bearcats are a very balanced team, ranking well but not too high in many offensive and defensive categories. One of the numbers that jumps out though is their ranking of 9th in sacks. This is a big deal because the Hokies ranked 111th in the country by allowing 3 sacks per game.

Three different quarterbacks saw significant snaps with junior Tony Pike taking the lion’s share. He’ll be going against the toughest pass defense he’s seen all year but if he can spread the ball around and get the Bearcats a lead, the Hokies won’t be able to keep the ball on the ground.

The Verdict…

This game has the potential to be a great one. Frank Beamer’s teams are known for solid defense and some of the best special teams play in the country, especially when it comes to blocking kicks. If the Hokies can keep it close, defense and special teams become much more crucial.

Look for the Hokies to ride the wave of momentum that helped them past Boston College easily in the ACC Championship Game 30-12.

Virginia Tech 17, Cincinnati 13

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